“Don’t worry about the clothing, doll. I’ll wire you some money to cover some new clothes and rent. I don’t have enough on me right now.”

“Oh, Nicky, you don’t need to do that. I have more than enough money of my own. I got more than the necklace in the divorce settlement, you know.” She brushed her fingers on my forehead, tracing the line of my eyebrow. “I love the way your eyebrows arch when you’re surprised.”

“Does Otellio know?”

She laughed, “No. I’m not that stupid, Nicky. If he’d known, I’d be penniless now. He doesn’t think about anything except himself.”

The cab pulled to a stop outside the bus station. I paid the cabbie and we went inside. The schedule board showed a bus leaving for Miami in ten minutes and one for Atlantic City in twenty five.

“Which would you prefer, angel?”

“I don’t want to leave at all, Nicky, but you have the expression of someone who’s going to get what he wants. Miami.”

I purchased her a ticket and saw her onto the bus, then caught a cab back to my apartment.